As incongruous as it might sound, the remains of a small Jewish community are nestled behind a stone wall in the heart of Penang. Other than the "Jewish Cemetery" sign adorning the gate, its presence could easily be missed.
The cemetery is said to have been established by an English woman, who acquired the land in the 19th century and was buried there in 1835. The gravestones are simple and time-worn. If there are visitors, they mark the graves -- as per Jewish tradition -- with pebbles that can be found within the surrounding clumpy grass.
The understated entrance and the small expanse of plots. An interesting mix of in- and above-ground sites.
Despite the cemetery having only about 100 graves, there's still room to set aside an area -- shaded by palm trees and sugarcane -- for those specially-named folks.
A couple of patinaed details. Tropical rains are good for some classic graveyard aging.
No comments:
Post a Comment